♪ ♪ ♪ >> cheryl: welcome to "beyond the headlines," today we're going to talk about transgender issues. trance injureder is defined as people that sexual characteristics may not match their gender identity. the bond between identical twins is very strong but what happens when that bond is tested because of gender identity questions? a crumbling family, drug abuse and a suicide attempt. those questions are answered in a documentary titled red with without blue. it tells a story about twins and transition to a woman named

clare. >> i went was in high school, but that is whether i decided i was going to live full time. i tried to tell my mom i was doing this. he said no, honey, you are not. that was the end of the kgs. i said yes, i am. we didn't talk for nearly eight months. she refused to call me clare and didn't want me to come home. basically we stopped talking. >> cheryl: joining me in the studio is a woman featured in the documentary and manager of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community center.

my heart was broken what you said in that movie. i want to educate people at home who don't know about transgender and what it means. there are people who identify themselves as transgender who are male and female cross-dressers and there are other terms? >> cross-dresser is not necessarily the term we would use. transgender is an umbrella term that includes transition from female to male, male to female, cross-dressers. so intrasex refers to chromosomes, an added chromosome that can affect the body's chemistry. it's used to identify someone's whose gender identity may not

match how they want to express their gender in the world. you have your internal sense of yourself. so it's basically the process of getting it to match e express that in the world that makes you confident. >> clare, you have been through quite a journey and it sounds like it was horrible? >> i have had an opportunity to tell my story in couple different films. a family coming together against all odds and against transition, not only was i transitioning but my family was transitioning in the process getting to know clare and how to accept me in society. >> cheryl: did the movie change your life? >> it did. i wasn't it expecting to get the

attention that it did. so i think just through the process of telling my story i was able to really grow more confident in myself as woman and also has a person and tell a story that not only impacted families really let people know about the hardship that people face. which compelled me to tell the story again. my marriage ae abow husband. >> cheryl: congratulations. >> so i got to tell the success after you go through that. >> we have images from t special on national geographic. now i understand your brother came out, as well? >> both my brothers are gay so we're kind of this fabulous family. we all live here in san francisco. it's a grapevine to have

identical twins also to have something weird so closely growing up, who am i wanting to be. how do i fulfill my own identity. >> cheryl: when did you know? >> i would say probably around six or seven. >> cheryl: could you put that into words? >> i couldn't put it into words, but i have a funny story of having a birthday party and getting a g.i. joe and saying that i wanted something else. i still remember today. >> cheryl: and you are married. you have a child? >> no, just a little baby, but pretty close. >> that is fantastic. and telling your partner ant have been an interesting

journey? >> i think it's really exciting because the film explores three different people's journey in national geographic. you get to see my husband is a trans man through the process. he really understands my journey because he has gone through his own. to be able to be loved and accepted by someone who really understands what it feels to not be loved. >> how are things doing with everybody in the family. you said fabulous? >> it is fabulous. i feel so blessed and honored. through the process i feel like my mom has come through acceptance and it came three education and time. just allowing to be healing from the past. i urge all people to be patient in the process, but also allow that education to happen. >> cheryl: that is why we're

here today. war going to have take a break. clare will be with us for one more segment. when we continue we're going to talk to clare about many talk to clare about many challenges facing the trans you know how much grandma wanted to be here for your fist christmas? you see grandma lives waaaay down here, and you live way up here. brian, your cousin, he's a little bit older than you, he lives here, in chicago. and your aunt lisa lives here, in baltimore.

uncle earnie? waaay out in hawaii. but don't you worry, we will always be together for christmas. [ male announcer ] being together is the best part of the holidays and cheerios is happy to be part of the family. you just ate dallas! >> cheryl: welcome back. we're talking about trans jejder issues. according to the center for equality and gay and lesbian

task force they experience unemployment as twice the rate of the national average. there is a program to combat transgender discrimination in the market and it's called ttti. transgender transition and economic power initiative. >> 19-year-old mia says discrimination is alive and well. >> when they transition weigh gender a it was very hard to find work. >> she came to san francisco looking for tolerance but even at job fairs she was turned away. >> it took me six months to find a job in san francisco of all places. >> the job she found was at this goodwill pop up store. this place on market street in the castro district has been empty for three years. goodwill has agreed to hire participants from the program.

>> this is not just a hire. this is unique program tailored for them so it's not just discrimination. >> on the job training teaching employees thousand handle unique situations that will come up in the workplace. >> we help them kind of transverse that water, how do i say, now my name is.... >> this pop-up store could be gone in nine months but workers like mia hope it will be the beginning of long careers. >> then they'll want to continue to hire trans people. >> we're back in the studio with clare that is manager of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community center. what is the importance of this program. >> as you mentioned they

experience unemployment at twice the rate of the general population and tra transgender people of color four times. so this job is an important issue across the country. >> cheryl: there is a lot of discrimination? >> right. discrimination not only affects interns but also in the workplace itself. so tti help educate employers about the laws we have here in california and specifically in san francisco, but also looking to help address the bay area's transgender people face what i do i put on my resume, how do i deal with past references. we look at how do we build the company so people can be successful but also build skills to be competitive in today's market. with those unemployment numbers it's very important that this program is a success. >> cheryl: emotional tool that it takes on people, i can't even

imagine. >> we find that discrimination impacts folks 90% reported harassment in the workplace and throughout their lives. this type of discrimination not only affects people in higher rates of suicide attempts and higher rates of violence across the community at large, drug and alcohol use. i've experienced these things myself as we talked about earlier. i can understand why my community is going through this. that is why i'm so passionate and they are so passionate about addressing these issues. you need to implement that and support the community through all these challenges. >> cheryl: it doesn't go away after you get the job. what do you recommend that they make a safe and equal workplace.

>> it's really having policies in place that follow and state laws. it also includes having a transition policy in place that really helps people to guide people and not use it as basis of not allowing someone to come in the workplace. people have the skills and qualifications as everyone else so really focus to the strengths they have on the table. we have career fairs twice a year. we just wrapped up an event in october including sales force and starbucks its all committed to hiring within the transgender community. this month is transgender awareness month in honoring those, a day of remembrance

which is november 20th which respects those that have been lost. >> cheryl: final case of advicef not knowing what to do about coming out? >> i would say contact us. contact your friends and folks online and get more resources. the more information you have and more relationships you build the more power and access to information you can get. so really reach out. it's okay to ask for help. we're here to help you. >> cheryl: congratulations on all your success. we have to stop right now but we have much more coming ahead. we're going to talk about what the law is doing to make sure transgender people are on equal footing. we'll talk about a landmark decision. stay with us. we'll be right back. [ boy 1 ] hey! that's the last crescent.

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today. >> thank you for having us. >> i am thoroughly enjoying learning about these issues. >> i think i can explain a little bit what that means. just this past tuesday the health commission passed a resolution to remove the sexual reassign. surgery from san francisco. what it means that the department of public health will create a program which would employ sexually assign. surgeries for those that are qualified. the idea behind that department of public health supports the health and wellness of all those in san francisco. to qualify for that we believe

we need those who qualify to be engaged timely care in the city and county of san francisco and we also think we actually would reduce the overall health care costs for transgender individuals. most of data we found in the past transgenders who are uninsured usually come into care who are at higher risk of other advanced diseases such as hiv or liver diseases like hepatitis. >> cheryl: once they get in the system they are cared for. let's talk about discrimination in the healthcare system? >> it's an overwhelming problem facing the community. it's by providers who are not

culturally competent to and insurance companies and public health care plans. so it's an incredible step that the city of san francisco to start providing this essential medical necessary care. >> cheryl: do you have any cases that come to mind right now that have been big wins? >> not about healthcare, but we actually had a really exciting win a few months ago in employment discrimination. the state of california has terrific laws that protect the transgender community. in april of this year, the federal equal employment opportunity commission ruled that title 7 the federal sex discrimination law protects transgender people on the job. that is a legal protection that

extends to transgender and gender nonconforming people. >> let me read you a quote. he says it's the civil rights issue of our time, that is from joe biden. do you want to comment on that? >> i think it's really amazing an administration who is so aware of transgender issues. i would venture to say that there are so many civil rights issues we are dealing with today. we can feel better and also around equal pay for gender issues. >> cheryl: it complicates it. doesn't it? >> it does. we need a lot more education.

>> cheryl: and housing discrimination? >> that is absolutely one critical area of discrimination that we see. discrimination in accessing homeless shelters and apartments and rentals. this is main area we get calls from california and calls unfortunately. >> cheryl: we're going to put information about both of your organizations our website. thank you for educating us about this. we do have to take a break. when we come back we'll talk about an organization that helps young people that help with questions about gender identity. good morning! wow. want to start the day with something heart healthy and delicious? you're a talking bee... honey nut cheerios has whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol. and it tastes good?

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>> cheryl: we're talking about transgender issues. where do young people go when

they want to make transition and how do families help to get through this time. i love what the services does. you are dedicated for a lot of reasons. >> we started about two years ago to help gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth out in the east bay and hayward where there are a lot of services and impacted by foster care and homelessness because there aren't a lot of services for them. i am incredibly connected to our mission because i am the parent of a four-year-old gender fabulous child. >> so you are living it. >> i am living it and breathing it. it's kind of amazing. >> i wanted to talk about your

family, i'm not quite familiar with the phrase? >> i think it's a phrase i made up. he is fantastic and he is four years old and he is passionate about things. he it can be a challenge sometimes. it's a little bit scary thinking about school starting. >> cheryl: that will be the neck step. you serve 80-100 young people a year. how early do you see young people conflict with gender identity? >> who notion if he will become a trans person or not but ages between 2-4 we have a good idea. people that identify as transgender who are stepping outside these gender boxes that

society creates and doing fabulous work. >> tell me about the mental health and how you help them? >> transgender youth, to help depression and anxiety. there are suicide attempts. they do want to make a point a lot of this is not in response to their identity but more in response to the hatred they face walking through the wod and family rejection they face as a result of being trans. >> cheryl: what can parents do? >> i think we need to love our kids, seriously love our kids, affirming who they are and celebrating who they are. that makes a positive inndtrack in their minds and builds up self-esteem to be able to go out in the world and face the hatred and change the system. >> cheryl: so if a person wants to start making that transition,

that is powerful moment? >> it's a powerful moment. there is a lot of support out there. there is people to support and supported for families, we run a family support group and amazing organization and support group for families. >> cheryl: how can we make sure that that child is going to be safe at school? >> we need to make sure that the education rules and codes are being enforced based on their identity. so parents need to be advocates. i love the philosophy. thank you so much for everything you are doing. we're going to have more information about stephanie's profile on our website. thanks for educating us on this very important issue. information about everything we talked about is available for

you on our website at abc7news.com/community. you can also find us on facebook at abc7news.com/community affairs. i'm cheryl jennings. we'll see you next week. bye for now. ♪ ♪ i'm only in my 60's... i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company.

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